Heeling board



Patented Sept. 1, 1925. I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ALBERT L. CLA'PP, OF DA-NVERS, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BECKWITH MANU-FACTURING COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

HEELING BOARD.

as well as for the manufacture of various.

other articles for use in the arts, by the employment of a paper machinewherein the fibers are felted and sheeted.

A further object of the invention is the utilization of certain wastematerial resulting from the manufacture of box toes.

In the manufacture of vulco-box toes so-called, which are today used invery large quantities in footwear, a fibrous sheet is produced in whichis incorporated, usually by saturation or impregnation, suchthermoplastic compounds as bitumens, resins, waxes,

drying oils, and certain resinates. in various combinations or mixtures;which impart stiffness and resiliency to the fibrous bl'ank, whichsoften upon the application of moderate heat so that the blanlcmay bemolded about the end of the last in the pullingover or end-lastingoperation, and which set rapidly on being cooled. After the sheet hasbeen formedand saturated or impregnated with the thermo-plasticcompound, it

is cut into blanks of. appropriate size and shape to serve as the box-toe stiffeners, and, as such blanks are irregular, there is of necessity agreat waste of the raw sheet material in the form of cuttings or scrap.vThe thermo-plastic compound in the scrap material is solid at ordinarytemperatures such as shoes may be subjectedto in wear, and arepulverizable or reducible by grind- I have discovered that it ispossible to disintegrate the box-toe waste b dry grinding as by the useof an Abbe grinder, and that such an operation may be successfullycarried on .occasionally throwing a small quantity (a. handful, forexample) of talc into the machine to prevent the thermoplastic compoundfrom sticking to the blades. The effect of the operation. is more orless to separate the felted fibers --usua1ly wool, cotton, hair,etc.,-and to break up 21, 1922. Serial No. 608,357.

the thermo-plastic compound, some of which is thereby freed from thefibers. Since these particles of the compound are of great value in theproduction of a board according to the present invention, some devicemust be employed for their recovery and use. 1

I have discovered that tanned leather fibers, when subjected to propertreatment, have the property of entraining' or retaining the particlesof thermo-plastic compound. in theipreparation of an aqueous pulp andits formation in a. sheet, and such fibers in addition give to the.finished board the appearance of leather, which is highly desirable.

Further I have found that, in securing optimum results in the productionof my new fiber board, it is desirable to employ some fluxing agent,which can be incorporated in the aqueous pulp, for fluxing and fusingthe thermo-plastic compound originally contained in the box-toe scrap.For this purpose, Montan wax, because of its low viscositynwhen moltenand resultant penetrability, is most desirable.

I shall now give several examples which 1 serve to illustrate my processand my new fiber board.

Example I.I place in a common beatinc engine. such as used for preparingpulp for the manufacture of paper or paper felt, 20 to 35 parts (byweight) of disintegrated tanned leather scraps or chips, '10 to 15 partsof cellulosic material such as sulphite or sulphate pulp or screenings,manila, mixed papers or rope stock, and 30 to 70 parts-of box-toe wasteor'scraps the latter having been disintegrated or ground While dry),together with suflicient water to ensure proper circulation of the stockin the beater. The stock is beaten hard for some time, say four to fivehours. until it is fairly smooth. (In some cases, the cellulosicmaterial is alone subjected to beating and partial hydration before. theleather. and the box-toe waste are added and beaten.) I now preferablyadd to the stock, especially where the proportion of box-toe waste andits contained thermo-plastici compound is 410 relatively small, anamount, say 10 parts, of powdered Montan wax or equivalent fluxingagent, which is thoroughly mixed with the stock. Then a precipitatingagent (7 parts of powdered alum for exa aluminum resinate whichcoagulate and pre cellulose fibers is beaten or brushed by the beatenroll into the pulp, and reacts with certain gelatinous portions of theleather, and forms a gelati- 3 rice down free nous precipitate whichcoagulates, and carparticles of thermo-plastic compound and theparticles of Montan wax, if the latter be employed, and fixes them onthe fiber. complete and the stock is ina. fine condition, it is nowtransferred to the paper machine, and sheeted either in a continuous web-by a multi-cylinder machine or in a tube on a wet machine; in whichlatter case, the

tube is slit and stripped from the make-up size and silicate of soda areadded and the fibers.

. cence throughout the sheet, and is thereby thoroughly distributedthroughout the mass; whereupon the alum is thoroughly dispersedthroughout the-pulp, after which the pulp is sheeted on a paper machine.The function of the lime is toprecipitate the tannin of the leather andrestore the color of the leather to its original hue. The silicate ofsoda and'the rosin size are precipiy alum as aluminum silicate andoipitate the free particles of Montan wax and thermo-plastic compoundand fix them on Example III.In this case are used': 20 to 30 partsdisintegrated tanned leather, 10 parts sulphate pulp, partsdisintegrated box-toe waste, 1 part fine hydrated lime, 2 partsbichromate of soda and/or 1 part sodium carbonate, 5 parts rosin size, 7parts 'l/Vhen the precipitation is alum.

Substantially the same procedure is followed as in Example II. The sodaash and/orbichromate of soda are added to the beater coincidently withthe-limel -and the leather, cellulose fiber and box-toe waste; In thiscase, the function of the bichromate of soda and the carbonate of sodais to react with the tannin ardrestore to the leather .a'

brown shade. It. will be observed that,'since a large proportion I amable'to dispense with Montan wax as an ingredient.

l The sheeted'materiaLfonned on a paper machineafrom the pulp producedin the foregoing examples, is dried, andis then heated and ressed (as bythe use of hot calender rolls sufliciently' to flux the containedthermoplastic compound and cause its coalesof box-toe waste isusedfmachine.

' to be precipitated, ad

made hard, dense and waterproof. The

sheet may now be skived, and. the cut surface presents the appearance ofleather. Because of the. contained gums, resins, etc,

the cut edges are capable of receiving and re- 70 taining a. finepolish.

What I claim is p 1, A fiber board comprising cellulose fibers,

leather fibers, and

with the fibers in felted relation and the particles of thermoplasticcompound distributed and precipitated throughout the board.

2. A fiber fibers, leather fibers, fibrous Waste containing athermo-plastic compound, and thermoplastic compound having a relativelylow viscosity when molten, with the fibers in felted relation and theparticles -of.thermo plastic compounds distributed throughout theboard.- I

3. A hard dense fiber board comprising cellulose fibers, leather fibersland fibrous Waste containing a thermo-plastic compound,

with the fibers in felted relation' and the thremo-plastic compounddistributed throughout and coalesced within the board,

said board being compacted and presenting,

when cut, a surface capable of receiving a polish.

tfA process of producing fiber board, which comprises. comminutingfibrous waste containing a thermo-plastic compound, formdisintegratedfibrous waste containing a thermoplastic compound, 75

board comprising cellulose 80 ing such disintegrated wastetogether withand leather fibers into an and sheeting such pulp with lted relation andthe thermoaqueous pulp, the fibers in f plastic compound distributedthroughout the p l l fiber board,

sheet.

5. A process of, producing which comprises disintegrating box-toe wastecontaininga thermo-plastic compound, forming, such disintegrated wastetogether with cellulose fibers,'le ather fibersyand a crushedthermo-plastic compound of low viscosity when molten into an aqueouspulp, and sheeting such pulp on a papermachine.

6. A process of producingfiber board, which comprises waste containingathermo -plastic compound, forming such disintegrated waste together withcellulose fibers and leather fibers, adding a precipitant to a'nd mixingit in said pulp,

7. A process of roducing fiber board, which comprises isinte atingbox-toe waste containing a thermo-p forming such disintegrated with.cel'lulose' fibers, leatherv fibers, and a crushed thermo-plastiofcompound of low? Viscosity when molten into an aqueous pulp,incorporating in the pul a material adapted astic compound,

waste together 125 disintegrating box-toe .andsheeting the pulpon apaper .1 7

ng, to the pulp a precipitant for the precipitation thereof, andsheeting the resulting pulp on a paper machine.

8. A process of producing fiber board, which comprises disintegratingbox-toe waste containing a thermo-plastic compound, forming suchdisintegrated waste together with cellulose fibers and leather fibersinto an aqueous pulp, incorporating in said pulp a material for reactingwith tannin of the leather fiber and restoring the color of the leather,and sheeting the pulp on a paper machine.

9. A process of producing fiber board,

which comprises disintegrating box-toe waste containing a thermo-plasticcompound, forming such disintegrated waste together with cellulosefibers, leather fibers, .and a. crushed thermo-plastic compound of lowviscosity when molten into an aqueous pulp, incorporating sodiumsilicate in said pulp, incorporating alum in said pulp for precipitatinga gelatinous precipitate, and sheeting said pulp in a paper machine.

In testimony whereof I'have aflixed my signature.

ALBERT L. CLAPP.

